if we were in such dire straits environmentally, Obama - being a liberal, and having access to all the numbers and advisors, would have made that priority #1.
What was his priority #1? forcing people to purchase health care. but wait, was it priority #2? not even, immigration among other things seemed more important.
However, the total amount it can remove and store on geologic timescales is very small.
The total amount of biomass on the planet is not that large compared to what we're talking about. Furthermore, most organic matter decomposes and releases the carbon back into the atmosphere. On geologic timescales, the biosphere is not a major player in the carbon cycle.
I don't understand how politcs factors into this. This is basic science.
By burning fossil fuels, we're moving carbon from the lithosphere to the atmosphere and hydrosphere. The biosphere can rapidly take in a finite amount of CO2, but it's not a very large amount.
The main way (on geologic timescales) that it's taken back out of the atmosphere/hydrosphere and put into the lithosphere is by carbonate deposition (i.e. limestones). On human timescales, that may as well be forever.